Tongs



Sept. 11, 1962 H. H. HOFFERT TONGS Filed Feb. 19, 1959 I NV EN TOR. /fawARo /1. #OFFERT BY f' FIG. 4

States 3,053,749 Patented Sept. 11, 1962 fire This invention relates to new and useful improvements in tongs, specically of the type adapted to grasp an article and provide electric conduction thereto. It particularly relates to new and useful improvements in tongs which may be used to grasp a small article of jewelry or the like safely and securely, to provide an electric current to said article and which may be utilized to immerse the article in an electrolyte Ifor the cleaning of the article, while protecting from immersion the small tag usually attached thereto.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and useful conductive tongs.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and useful tongs having resilient means for securely and yet resiliently engaging an article of jewelry or the like, without scratching or vdamage to the article, and which rwill provide a ready means for immersing the article in Ia liquid.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a new and useful tongs having means for securely grasping an article and means for providing a conductive connection thereto.

Yet a further object of this invention is the provision of a tongs having cooperating arms, resiliently surfaced, for the engagement of an article of jewelry or the like and a deformable conductive member attached to one of the tong arms adapted to engage the article being gripped.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a new and useful tongs having means whereby an article of jewelry such as a ring may be grasped for immersion into liquid, yet whereby a portion of said article and the price or other tag attached `thereto may be protected from communication with the liquid.

Yet a further object of this invention is the provision of a conductive tongs having means adapted to grasp an article -for immersion in a liquid while preventing contact with the liquid of a portion of that article and tag attached thereto.

Other and `further objects of the invention reside in the structural details of the tongs, including the resilient means for providing a conductive connection to the article lbeing held by the tongs, the resilient means for safely engaging a fragile article, the cooperation therebetween and the other structural features of the tongs.

Still other objects are inherent and apparent in the structure as described, pictured and claimed.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, this invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but `a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention ymay be ernployed.

This invention will be described with reference to the drawings in which corresponding numerals refer to the same parts and in which:

FIGURE l is a plan view of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational View, partially in vertical section and showing the tongs in datum, normal or extended position;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 and showing the tongs in article engaging position; and

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view, partially in vertical section, on a reduced scale, showing the tongs in use and immersing an article in an electrolyte.

Reference is now made to the drawings and particularly to FIGURES -l and 2. There is shown the tongs generally Adesignated 10 having a pair of tong arms 11 andV '12 which are substantially identical but oppositely dis-l posed. For convenience, arm 11 is illustrated as the top arm and will be so described; however, it is to be understood that the position can readily be reversed and arm '12 designated as the top arm. In use, either the arms 11 and 12 may Ihe engaged by the ngers and the other engaged by the thumb at the discretion of the user, all within the spirit and scope of this invention.

The arms 11 and 12 each comprise an elongated portion 13 having at one end a spatulate portion 14 for arm 11 and 15 for arm 12. The spatulate portions 14 and 15 are shown of `circular configuration. The tongs are riveted or otherwise secured together by ends 16 of each of arms 11 and 12 lby rivet 17 as shown. Apertures are provided in each of arms 11 and 12 to receive a bolt lrassembly 18 which provides a terminal for an electric `lead or conductor wire 19.

A resilient disc 20 is attached to each of spatulate portions 14 and 15 so that lche -discs lie interior of the tongs when viewed in FIGURE 2 and adapted to move into abutment with each other as the tong arms 11 and 12 are closed.

The resilient `disc Z0 has an annular peripheral ridge 20A slightly around it to provide a dished or cupped surface with a planar bottom 20B. It is provided with an arcuate portion 20C opposite edge 20A which in cooperation with planar portion 20B provides an arcuate recess for the reception of either of `spatulate portions 14 and 15 as the case may be. Thus, it will be seen that disc 20 may be slipped over spatulate portion 14 or 15 by virtue of the resiliency of the disc and retained thereon by portion 20C cooperating with the spatulate configuration thereof, as shown in FIGURE 2.

The peripheral annular ridge 20A of each o-f the discs for spatulate members 14 and 15, when brought into the position of FIGURE 3 over an article of jewelry 24 because of its resiliency, will provide a fluid tight compartment for the protection of the tag 24A usually secured on the article of jewelry for price, etc.

Portion 14 is provided with a central aperture to which is secured by welding, soldering, brazing or otherwise, a resilient conductive wire 21 having a coil spring portion 22 and an extending end 23. End 23 may be bent as shown from the position of FIGURE 2 to the position of FIGURE 3 for engagement with an article of jewelry or the like, in this instance illustrated by the ring 24.

The tongs may be made from any suitable resilient conductive material such as stainless steel, plated metal, aluminum or the like so long as the metal is conductive r and resilient so that the arms will be separated when the tongs are not squeezed. The connector wire or conductive member 21 may likewise `be made of any suitable resilient wire material, operative to establish a connection between Itong 10 and the article 24. The connector or electric lead 19 is of a conventional copper wire or the like and has an end turned around assembly 18.

In use, a ring, as ring 24, other article of jewelry or lthe like, may be positioned so that portion 23 engages a part thereof when the ring or article is positioned between discs 20 and clamped therebetween by squeezing of the tongs. This provides soft, but rm engagement of the article. The article may then be immersed in a conductive cleaning solution or electrolyte E within a vessel V having a second electric lead 2.5 connected thereto so that the article may be cleaned by the action of the solution or electrolyte E and the electric current owing through 3 it. The vessel V is shown having a conductive shell although the lead 25 could be provided with an electrode or immersed directly into the electrolyte E as desired.

In the position of FIGURE 3, the two cooperating peripheral ridges 20A will engage throughout the major portion of their circumference as shown in FIGURE 3 and will conform closely to the surface of the ring 24 as it emerges therebetween, thus providing a relatively `fluid tight compartment for the protection of ytag 24A as the article of jewelry is inserted into the liquid.

Although the tongs have been shown as used to provide a conductive connection to a ring for immersing it into an electrolyte for cleaning, it is to be understood that `it is suitable for other operation wherein it is necessary or desirable to provide a conductive connection to an article rmly yet gently held. y

The resilient discs or pads 20 are made of rubber, natural or synthetic or any suitable resilient synthetic resinous material such as polyethylene, vinyl chloride or the like.

It is apparent that many modications and variations of this invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The specific embodiments described are given by Way of example only and the invention is limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pair of tongs comprising in combination rst and second extending arms, spaced at one end and joined together at the other end, electric terminal means secured to said other end for connecting to a source of electric current, the spaced ends of said arms provided with spatulate portions, one of said spatulate portions having an extending wire member secured thereto and extending from the exterior thereof, said wire member extending substantially at right angles to the plane of said spatulate portion and then coiling to provide a spring portion and then extending downwardly and parallel -to the prolongation of said arms and resilient pads secured to the interior of each of said spatulate portions.

2. The pair of tongs of claim 1 in which said resilient pads have cup like portions engaging each other.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,248,718 Owen July 8, 1941 2,841,548 Perlman July 1, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 412,641 Great Britain July 5, 1934 163,438 Australia June 20, 1955 All 

1. A PAIR OF TONGS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION FIRST AND SECOND EXTENDING ARMS, SPACED AT ONE END AND JOINED TOGETHER AT THE OTHER END, ELECTRIC TERMINAL MEANS SECURED CURRENT, THE SPACED ENDS OF SAID ARMS PROVIDED WITH CURRENT, THE SPACED ENDS OF SAID ARMS PROVIDED WITH SPATULATE PORTIONS, ONE OF SAID SPATULATE PORTIONS HAVING SPATULATE PORTIONS, ONE OF SAID SPATULATE PORTIONS HAVING FROM THE EXTERIOR THEREOF, SAID WIRE MEMBER EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE PLANE OF SAID SPATULATE PORTION AND THEN COILING TO PROVIDE A SPRING PORTION AND THEN EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AND PARALLEL TO THE PROLONGATION OF SAID ARMS AND RESILIENT PADS SECURED TO THE INTERIOR OF SUCH OF SAID SPATULATE PORTIONS. 